Adair County Rural Schools Reunion a resounding success

Saturday

Jun 29, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Former students and teachers from Adair County met last weekend

Vivian Wright/For the Daily Express

“School days, . . . dear old golden rule days.”

The words in the song express the sentiments of those who attended the first Adair County Rural Schools Reunion. On Saturday, June 22 at the Kirksville Shrine Club, former students and community members reconnected with childhood friends and paid tribute to their rural schoolteachers.

It was a day of nostalgia and pride, which can be summed up in the 1954 quotation by Wallace M. Pearson that was reprinted on the program handout. Pearson was Representative to 64th and 65th General Assembly from Adair County.

Pearson said, “ The citizens who live here [in Adair County] and those who have gone elsewhere to make their marks in the world started out in these schoolhouses. These buildings are more than classrooms. They are social and community centers. From these meeting places have come the ideas that have built America.”

The day began with a luncheon for Adair County Rural Teachers. Thirty-one teachers, of the 57 that were located, attended the luncheon. They ranged in age from 71 to 99 years old and had taught in Adair County from 1932 to 1965. Prior to teaching in the county, most of them had attended rural schools themselves.

Co-chair Joeta Prather Christensen was surprised at the number of teachers they were able to locate. She said, “We found more than double what I expected.”

After the luncheon, the teachers rang bells and “called school to order.” They assembled the group for the Pledge of Allegiance and the song School Days. Master of Ceremonies Ron Prather recognized the teachers for their love of children and their commitment to education.

After the program, Bob Lambert conducted an abbreviated pie and cake auction reminiscent of the pie suppers in the 1950s and 1960s.

Willa Yardley Hutcheson, who chaired the hospitality and greeting table, said, “It’s hard to tell exactly how many attended.” Almost 500 signed a guest book identifying themselves and the rural school they attended, but many of those who were not “country kids” did not sign the book.

Of the 80 school districts in Adair County at the turn of the century, 77 of them were rural school districts.

Most of them were still operating in the 1950s and 1960s, so the committee anticipated a large turnout.

Off-site parking was arranged, and Weber Bus Company volunteered to shuttle to and from the event. Even though the shuttle bus was air conditioned and smaller, it was still reminiscent of riding from the country to town school after 8th grade graduation. Weber Bus has transported students since 1936.

Asked if she considered the reunion a success, Co-chair Vivian Vice Wright said, “We renewed friendships and celebrated our school memories. It can’t get much better than that.”

Co-chair Larry Evans said, “Troy Mills School hosted the event, but the success of the reunion is credited to representatives from all the country schools who donated time and materials this past year.” Coordinators from 61 schools collected memorabilia and made posters depicting their school days.

The reunion at the Shrine Club ended at 4 p.m., but many individual schools gathered their classmates and continued the reunion into the night, promising to stay in touch.

Using many of the photos collected at the reunion, Larry Evans and Vivian Vice Wright will publish a book The History of Adair County, Missouri, Rural Schools. They continue to seek photos and memories for possible inclusion in the book. Contact Larry at 660-341-4872.